Preference by the Nile rat (Arvincanthis niloticus) for five cereal grains and two oil additives

The resulting order of preference was: (1) millet; (2) rice; (3) wheat; (4) sorghum; and (5) maize. Using the same procedures, millet with 5% peanut oil was preferred to millet with 5% cotton seed oil. There was no significant difference between millet with 5% peanut oil and millet with 2% peanut oil. These results suggest that medium-coarse ground millet, with 2% peanut oil as a toxicant binder, should be used as a rodenticide bait for the control of pest populations of Nile rats. Broken or ground rice, with peanut oil, is recommended as an alternate bait to millet. Both materials should prove useful in reducing Nile rat damage to vegetables and cereal crops in wadi situations. (Author abstract)